Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.

Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.

They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.

Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?

Review:
After reading the fun rom-com Hot Dog Girl, by Jennifer Dugan, last year, I was impressed.  Now, with the release of her next novel, Verona Comics, I am a fangirl!  I really enjoyed this book.  But don't let the cute cover and synopsis fool you.  This is not a light, breezy teen romance.  While it does have some of those vibes at the beginning, Verona Comics is actually a rather serious look at teen depression and anxiety.  It is also loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, so...
                   
via GIPHY

Possible tragedy looms over everything.
Settings:
I have only been to two Comic Cons, but gosh they were fun.  The book captures the festive atmosphere in the very sweet meet-cute between Jubilee and Ridley.  Both dressed in costumes, their flirty first meeting is adorable.

Later, the book has several scenes in Verona Comics, the store owned by Jubilee's moms.  Either the author does lots of research, or actually spends time hanging around Comics shops, but the atmosphere felt really authentic.

Characters:
Jubilee is really driven to excel in music, has several good friends, and loving (if a bit overprotective) parents.  Ridley couldn't be more different.  He is a loner, has horrible parents, and terrible self-esteem.  He also has a serious anxiety issue.  While they are very different, they are both quite endearing, and I loved their texting interactions. 

Diversity:
There was a wide range of diversity, from various sexual orientations, to ethnicity, and socio-economic situations.  There were different family situations, too.  Some families were very accepting, but others were quite hostile to their teens preferences.  The biggest difference for our main characters was in the level of healthy parenting between Jubilee's parents, and Ridley's.  I loved how this showed how varied teen experiences can be.  

Handling of Mental Health Issues:
One of the most important messages in this book is that teens should not, and cannot, rely only on other teens for emotional support.  Ridley has some really serious problems, which he tends to dump on Jubilee.  This puts Jubilee under a lot of pressure to meet his needs over her own.  It was a bit infuriating to see this, but these situations do often happen to teens.  The young person having the problem doesn't want to talk with an adult, and so wants to talk over everything with their friend.  But this really puts an unfair burden on the other person, which can make them feel overwhelmed, guilty, and resentful.  This relationship dynamic is the main focus of the book.  And it is one worth exploring.
Ridley's Family:
Ridley has a really messed up family life.  His parents are seperated, with him living with his mom in Seattle, and his dad living on the East Coast (with a girlfriend).  The dad is a raging alcoholic, and abusive.  The mom must have known this, but doesn't raise any objection to Ridley's plan to live with his dad. She never checks on Ridley, and seems more interested in her new-found freedom than making sure Ridley is safe.

And that is the reason I have mixed feelings about this situation.  Considering what a creep his dad is, it's no wonder Ridley has mental health issues!  My objection to this scenario is that the abusive situation seemed like an excuse for Ridley to have issues.  I wish that a teen could be shown to have problems who came from a loving home, or had parents who were really trying (and failing) to be helpful.  These situations happen too.  


Rating: 




Release Date:  April 21st, 2020

Author:  Jennifer Dugan

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre:  YA Contemporary

Page Length:  352 Pages

Source:  Edelweiss

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Despite the cutesy premise, this is a serious book about toxic relationships.  The characters make this an endearing book.